Mission Statement
The mission of the Asian American Theater Company (AATC) is to connect people to Asian American culture through theater. AATC was established in 1973 to develop and present original works of theater about Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, and we are still committed to producing groundbreaking, entertaining and innovative art. We are not only a production company, but also a workshop where Asian American writers, actors and directors can explore ideas, understanding that we won't always know where those ideas will lead. Whether these works end up in video, on film or on stage, they carry with them the Asian American Theater's purpose: to explore who we are as a people and a community, and in so doing, to bring us closer together.
Description
Through our productions, training program and young artists' workshops, Asian American Theater Company continues to serve as a focal point for the talents of established and emerging Asian Pacific Islander American playwrights, actors, directors, designers and technicians. Asian American Theater Company, established in 1973, is one of the nation's oldest theatrical organizations dedicated to the development and presentation of works by, for and about Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. In an era of increasing anti-Asian sentiment and outright violence, it is crucial that Asian Pacific Islander American artists be given opportunities to produce their responses to events and increase dialogue and understanding between all of our ethnic communities. In terms of overt acts of racism, this is the worst it's been in my lifetime. When that happens, that's when you find the need to speak. As individual artists and as a company, we seek to challenge our audiences artistically and politically. We produce work that is visionary, breaks traditions, crosses boundaries, and leads the audience to question their aesthetic and cultural assumptions. We believe in the power of theater to explore the human experience from a unique perspective. Through our productions, training program and young artists' workshops, Asian American Theater Company continues to serve as a focal point for the talents of established and emerging Asian Pacific Islander American playwrights, actors, directors, designers and technicians. Main Stage Productions: New plays and revivals of classics by Asian Pacific Islander American playwrights, directed, performed and designed by local talent. Most scripts will have been developed at AATC and each will be presented at various venues around the Bay Area with a full-production run. Emerging Artists Project: Young actors, many of whom are making their acting debut, perform plays by new playwrights or revivals of classics by established artists Many of the actors and writers taking part in the Emerging Artists Project have participated in the Training Program. Staged Readings: Scripts under development are directed, rehearsed and presented, followed by discussion and critique. Readings are free or a nominal donation is requested. Scripts from women and under-represented Asian Pacific Islander groups are especially welcome. Training Program: Two semesters each year of courses in acting, scene study, voice and movement and playwright's workshops, conducted by professional artists, offered at low cost. Asian American Theater Company is generously supported by funds from Asian American Arts Foundation, Asian Pacific American Community Fund, San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund Grants for the Arts, Creative Work Fund, Horizons Foundation, IBM, LEF Foundation, Lucent Technologies, California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grants, City of Oakland/Asian Pacific Cultural Center Community Access Grant, National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller Multi-Arts Production Fund, the Starr Foundation, W.A. Gerbode Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Fund and individuals like you.
